A Beautiful Monster
by Angels Falls8
Summary: Being a teenager was tough enough. Becoming a women had it's own challenges...finding out your mutant powers are growing was even tougher. Rogue is quickly approaching crisis level. Can Logan help her? Will he ever see what's right in front of him? Warning: Serious Angst, before you get to a happy ending!
1. Pieces of me

**Title:** Beautiful Monster  
**Chapter****:** One - The not so good news  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine,Marvel owns all rights. (Damn)

**~oOo~ * ****~oOo~ ***** ****~oOo~**

I hated Doctors, and I hated the Med-Lab. Now whether this was a byproduct of having to meet with Dr. Grey or a holdover from Logan's memories I couldn't say. Just having monthly test done on you; only to be told that no progress had been made towards controlling your powers was no fun. And well that grew kind of old the first three months; we are now going on month eight.

I waited for Dr. Grey to finish her hemming and hawing and begin to go over my test results. I glanced over to the other room in the med-lab where Bobby lay. His attempt to steal a kiss two days ago had resulted in his lying comatose. True it was only a few seconds but my mutations seems to have grown in strength, and control was not coming as quickly as I would like. Jean looked up at me and nailed me with the weight of her gaze. In that gaze I saw pity. I'd rather see revulsion than fucking pity.

"Rogue, I've reviewed the results and your mutation is changing. With it getting stronger I am not sure if you will ever get control of it. You've been here a little over six months and have not made a significant amount of progress, even with the Professor's help. I think you need to come to terms that your mutation may prevent you from ever being able to lead a normal life. The risk for you to be held or kissed is at this point simply too much. For now it's a coma. Soon it may be death. Could you live with that on your conscious? I know that Bobby will probably rethink the whole dating you thing. Also it's well known you have a major crush on Logan. But neither of them will ever be able to have a normal relationship with you and it that really isn't fair to either of them."

I sat straight up on the table and looked her in the eye. Meanwhile wondering if Doctor Grey was finished so I could get the hell out of here; never to darken the Med-Lab again. I guess I kind of phased out and then back in because I barely caught the end of her speech. "Please don't think I'm saying this to be cruel, I just think you need to examine your life."

I froze. I knew from her scent that while she was trying to maintain a professional persona she was actually stressed and for some reason a little weary. I wouldn't tell her that though. Then she would know how long my absorption of power lasted. And I would be dammed if I would tell the self-righteous bitch anything about myself. It wasn't like I asked Bobby to kiss me! I hopped off the table and thanked in her in a contained voice. Anything else and I would start raging. Really telling an eighteen year old what amount to 'sorry old bean, you'll never find love in your lifetime and basically be all alone' The fucking topper of that particularly bad statement was that on some level she thinks she's doing the right thing.

As I went to my room, I could see all the kids veering out of my path. Like any moment I was going to go on a rampage and tag all of them. Even in Mutant High with all the freaks I was the outcast. Suddenly I'd had enough. Enough of not having a family, because obviously I was the spawn of the devil and no longer their daughter so they threw me of the only home I've ever known after legally making sure they were no long responsible for me. Enough of surviving on the road for over a year before Logan saved me. Enough of him drifting in and out of my life because hey I was just a kid, never you mind that collectively I had over 100 years of living in my head. Enough of being feared, most folks wouldn't even touch me and when they did, well double and triple checking that I was 100% covered was the norm.

The only person who never hesitated was looking for his past. A past that the Professor was trying to lead Logan; lead him in the right direction without giving him all the answers, helping him in his own unique way. And as for me, well drowning on the inside would be a good way to describe it. As I gazed around me I knew. I knew that I would be forever haunted by facts. **Fact #1**: I stole Logan's power when he skewered me with his claws. **Fact#2:** I had Magneto force himself inside my psyche so that I could power up his damn machine. Which very nearly killed me, thank you very much! **Fact#3:** In order to save me, Logan gave me more of his power. So he and Mag's are permanent residents**. Fact#4:** I was poison. Looking at me you could probably call me death incarnate. **Fact#5:** Trying to find something worth living for was really unsuccessful at this moment.

And so a plan was born. First thing I did was ask Scott to drop me off in town. I told him that I would take a cab back to the mansion. Second thing I did was grab the two photos I had printed from the computer. Rogue was taking control of her life such as it was. I arrived at the tattoo parlor and waited for my turn. When I showed the Kanji to the artist she did a double take. Fuck it would be my luck to get person who can read what I want to put on my skin. "Sweetie, I'm not one to tell folks what to put on their body. But are you absolutely sure you want to place the characters for sweet poison on your skin?" I nodded in affirmation. It would be a constant reminder to me that I was alone and always would be. As I sat there letting the artist tattoo both my wrist I was mildly surprised that it barely hurt.

I loved the tattoos, but still they weren't enough. So to the piercing place I went. Yeah I've got money. I just don't like to use it. Blood money was what I thought of it. After all my parents gave that to me so that I would never darken their doorstep. But I thought it fitting that the money they gave me would help sculpt the new me. I briefly pondered a new wardrobe. But let's face it right now everything I brought would be black and more black. So ears, nose and tongue all done…got to love that healing! Tattoo permanent, piercings healed and I still had time to kill. I meandered over to Barnes & Nobles. This time instead of looking for the latest Ilona Andrews book I went to the self-help section. Looking for books on meditation; next was a Yoga DVD. Even if I could never control my mutation at least I could help quiet down all the voices inside.

Finally I was more or less ready to head back. I called a taxi service to take back to the school. School huh, more like a fucking prison at this point. Yep life in a fishbowl! The closer I got to the school the more my internal o-shit-o-meter was buzzing. So tempting to just have the taxi turn around and go back into town. But I ain't ever one to back down in the past and I sure as shit wasn't gonna start now. When we pulled up to the gate I paid the driver and hopped out, made sure I had all my bags and then started walking up the drive. Each step was like walking through water. I was absolutely positive that this day was going to get worse.

How much worse…well that's to be determined…..

End of chapter 1, TBC...


	2. The Prodgical Son Returns

Title: A Beautiful Monster  
Chapter: Two – The prodigal son returns….  
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish it was! Marvel owns all rights. (Damn)

**Note:** Angst alert

* * *

Even before entering the main entrance, all I wanted to do was turn around. I took a sniff and the smell of beef stew hit my senses. Deciding I was better off without it I went straight to my room. Not in the mood to deal with any of the teachers and definitely not wanting to watch the other students cower from me. So to my sanctuary I went. I stripped down so that I could put on my exercise clothing. And started my routine in my room, why my room you ask? Well I couldn't use the gym because working out fully covered might make me stroke out from overheating. I couldn't work out using regular clothing because 'gasp' I might accidently hurt somebody in the gym while working out. I also wasn't allowed to use the gym without supervision because I might hurt myself. It was a marvelous catch fucking 22 that was; so I brought some equipment and tapes and did my own thing.

As I worked out I waited. In a school that has telepathic teachers and students, well someone was bound to notice I was back. And with that knowledge the inquisitional squad would arrive. 'Where was I? Why did I need to go into town? And more importantly was I okay?' Lord I didn't answer questions on the best of days and today definitely wasn't a good day. So no to answering Jubilee, no to Kitty and hells no to Dr. Grey and the Professor! Rude much, I know. However I have a legitimate excuse. Drum roll please. …..

I have several different personalities with permanent rooms in my brain. And let me just say they don't all get along. First there was Cody. I would say poor Cody, but trust me the son of bitch didn't have pure intentions, and to him. Well I would have been just another notch on his belt. We will skip over the truckers and other life forms that I had to touch. What? You thought a young pretty girl all by herself wouldn't track predators? On to Mystic and Sabertooth, two of the most contentious people I never wanted to meet. Then we have the Logan special. I got to tap that well twice. The first time when I stupid enough to try and imitate a human shish-ka-bob, the second time was like a cherry topper on a Magneto ice-cream sundae of fucked up ness. Add small chasers of Bobby and viola we have a cluster-fuck.

Did I mention that Rogue has become a personality all her own? She became the tough as nails persona that the world saw. So what if her boyfriend was in a coma? Nobody told him to try and steal a kiss. No friends but surrounded by nosey acquaintances, who gave a shit! Rogue was an island on to her own. She didn't care that Logan made promises and the disappeared for ½ a year. Yep two months of staying to make sure she was okay while recovering from Liberty Island fiasco. Then when I started school, he ran for the hills. So for six months, I have been it education hell. Yay me!

Marie on the other hand was tender. She hated that Bobby had gotten hurt and thought there must have something she could have done to prevent it. She sent longing glances whenever she saw a group of friends her age. Wishing she could join in slumber parties and sports. She desperately missed Logan. He was the love of her life. And although she knew it was an unrequited love, it was love none the less. As for the school she very much wished she could fit in and enjoy what would probably be the last of her classroom experience. Marie still cried, Marie still felt, and Marie was hurt.

So when the knock did eventually come I didn't jump. Nor did I hurry to open the door. If I knew who was on the other side I would have bolted the damn door, barricaded and possibly electrocuted it. I opened it kind of expecting Jubes or even Kitty, was really, really praying goody number one and two respectively weren't on the other side. So you can imagine how my piss-o-meter shot from 1 to 100 when I opened the door to find the Wolverine leaning so insouciantly outside the door frame. Must resist the urge to slam the door! Slam! Well never said my impulse control was great. And now, three, two, one…..

"Kid", Logan using a growly voice…check.

"Open the damn door Marie, we need to talk" noticing he was pissed….check.

Internally debating whether I wanted to deal with this tonight or tomorrow morning I reopened the door. Logan was nothing if stubborn. The longer I put him off the worse he would be. "Wolverine, Sugah you're back. So how did your search go? Any luck?" Any more sweetness and I would be charged with trying to rot something. With that opening salvo he would know two things…one I was angry at him. Two the over the top act of caring was of such magnitude and sarcasm even he could pick up on it.

I could see he was leery, not as cock sure as normal. Hmm, seems like they've been telling tales on me. Poor Rogue…blah blah blah! Who cares what they think. There was only one person I used to care about and he kind of killed that notion quickly. "What the hell have you done to yourself?" Oops, guess he noticed the piercings…..um nope …. his eyes were on the wrist. I grabbed him by his shirt, and miracles of all miracles he let me yank him inside the room. If he was going to chastise me or read me the riot act he could at least do it in relative privacy.

I dared to take a peek at him. Woo boy. I may not have known him long, but he sure was madder than a wet hen. "What possibly could possess you to place those on your body?" Okay, hoping that the man was just against tattoos on women. When in doubt play dumb. Hey don't judge! I never claimed to be a Doctor or a genius. He eyes narrowed further. Damn I know the man didn't read minds…. so it had to be either my heartbeat or scent. Duplicitous body!

I knew when he pointed to one and then the other that the jig was up. Okay so scrap denial and cue defiance. One thing I've learned to be very versatile, when plan A went down the drain, go with plan B. However to be perfectly honest, plan B wasn't going to cut it. Oh well. Rolling without a plan seems like that was the new plan. On the wings of that thought…I was indignant. When the hell did he learn to read Japanese? I intended to tell him I was 18 and could do what I want. I intended to remind him that when one takes off for 6 months and doesn't call or write; you lose the right to pass judgment.

"Since when in the fuck do you read Japanese Wolverine"? Okay even my mouth isn't cooperating with me. Nostrils flaring…deep breaths. ….hands flexing. All signs of an emanate meltdown (his, not mine). When he began talking through clenched teeth, okay sue me so I got a little nervous.

"Sweet poison? Kid that ain't something you just up and decide to put on your body. And what's with all the piercings? Needed something to go with that obvious hole in your head?"

Oh no he didn't, he did not just go there. Suddenly my world was full with red. Did I mention that several of my personalities have anger management issues? I unloaded. Railing at Logan for disappearing for 6 months with no word or communication. Bitterly complaining about the school A.K.A prison. Spilling out vitriol against his favorite redhead. Everything and anything that went wrong since Canada came out of my mouth. When I finally finished I was weary and Logan was shell shocked. Well as much as Logan could be. I watched him gather himself. And knew that he was going to try to mitigate everything I just told him.

So I listened as he told me that I should know he would be okay, virtually indestructible remember? And Red was only trying to help me; maybe I should stop seeing her as the enemy. Granted the Professor hadn't found my switch but it was just a matter of time. As for my peers, well just give them time. Eventually they would see how wonderful I was. I looked deeply into his eyes and mourned. Who was this stranger standing in front of me? The old Logan would have grunted something along the line of fuck em. This one looked at me with pity.

Suddenly it was just all too much. I gathered my pajamas and went to go to the bathroom. "It's late Wolverine, and I have classes in the morning. Let's catch up tomorrow, okay"? He looked like he wanted to argue, however he eventually snapped his mouth shut and turned to leave. As he left I ran to the bathroom and turned on the shower. I didn't even wait for the water to warm up. I threw myself in and started to cry. Great big silent tears rolled down my face. Lost in a deluge of water, I hoped my pain would escape Logan's notice. With feral senses it was hard to pull one over on him. I slid down the wall curling into a ball. I clenched my jaw shut. I knew if I started to scream I would never stop. And let tell you it's one thing for folks to think you're a couple of cards short of a deck, and another to give them proof positive.

Rocking myself… I began to wonder how long I could last. What would be the straw that broke the camel's back. I was already holding on by a string. Each day it got just that much harder to get up and put on my happy face.

Piece by piece I was dying and nobody noticed. Or they chalked it up to teenage angst and rebellion.

Didn't anyone see that even in a school full of people I was all alone?

Couldn't anybody tell that all the affection I was missing just left a void in my soul?

Was I really destined to be alone? Never having a lover….forever without children?

I pulled myself out of the shower. Pondering on things never helped anything. Marie had her 15 minutes in the sun…Rogue was needed to handle the deluge of feelings. Trust me the last couple of years were proof positive. I learned to rely on myself, and just needed to get back to that mindset. I was only a few weeks from graduation. After that I could pull a disappearing act.

Bed now….. we needed to lose our self in the sweet oblivion of sleep…

End Chapter 2

TBC


	3. Somebody that I use to know 20

Title: A Beautiful Monster  
Chapter: Three – Somebody that I used to know…  
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I wish it was! Marvel owns all rights. (Damn)

**Note:** Angst alert

**Previously:**

Bed now….. we needed to lose our self in the sweet oblivion of sleep…

Waking up wasn't any better. I was still hurt and worst of all pissed off. Some folks think that getting upset and exploding is one of the worst things. Nope, I'm here to tell ya'll that it's the smoldering anger that really is fucking scary. That kind of mad don't go away and it builds with time. Trust Wolverine to just meander back into my life the way he meandered out. And the line of bullshit? Obviously before he managed to bring his ass to my door, he stopped and spoke to either Red or the Professor. So with that said, to hell with everyone. I got dressed and went to scrounge around for some food. I was in the kitchen eating when the summons came. Just to be contrary I waited until I was finished eating and had washed the dishes before reporting to the Professor's office.

Fucking wonderful, an intervention. There sat Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops and the Bitch. All that was missing was Sully (A.K.A. Beast). I stood by the door. I was not going to go further, I was not going to sit down and relax. I needed to know that if escape was needed I had easy access to the exit. When the Professor invited me in I politely disagreed and leaned on the wall. If they wanted to talk to me, no way in hell was I going to make it easy for them. Let them chalk it up to teenage angst. I knew it was really the fact that most of my personalities didn't have a problem with wanting to inflict pain or death to most of the folks in the room. The jury's still out on Wolverine. When he came over to me to try and move me into the room, I let loose a low but very vocal growl. The kind that said if you keep going there will be repercussions. He cocked his head to the side.

Hopefully dumb ass still retained enough feral instincts to know what that growl meant and respect it. He stopped coming and chose his own bit of real estate to lean on. And then it began. How I was letting my gifts rule my life. _Really a gift implies you can return the motherfucker. A curse….now that implied __tag-you're-it__, and it's yours for life!_ How I mustn't blame myself for Bobby's actions. _Why would I blame myself for numb nuts ambushing me? _How I shouldn't resort to mutilating myself, it wasn't a healthy way to deal with the pain. _It's called self-expression assholes… guess it was a good thing I hadn't started on my back piece._ How I needed to find inner peace if I was every able to master my gifts. _Inner fucking peace? What's next__,__ a Buddhist Temple in Tibet? _

Really? And then the silence as they waited for my response. I looked to them in the room for their reactions. Wolverine….bored looking… Professor…. calm poker face…..Storm….. anxious but supportive…. Cyclops…. pity… and the Bitch? Well she had the face of triumph. So you couldn't break me on your own and had to bring reinforcements?

Now here is where being eighteen worked in my favor. I could throw a fit and run off and everyone would chalk it up to teen angst. So taking a deep breath, I let loose. Told them none of them knew what I was feeling. _They really didn't__,__ so many different personalities meant different frequencies. __It__ was like scanning multiple stations and trying to get one complete song. Ain't gonna happen!_ And since Doctor and Patient confidentiality didn't seem to apply here they never would. _Did they really thing I didn't know The Bitch had been pushing the boundaries? Especially since I am a legal adult?_ How folks who were a peripheral part of my life didn't get to make judgments. _Yep teachers, school master and fair weather friend need not apply. _The only folks who had those rights had given them up in a heartbeat. _The parental units couldn't wait to get rid of me…_

And while I was bitching and moaning I began to back towards the door. First off came the gloves. If someone, anyone tried to detain me I was dropping someone with no remorse and extreme predaciousness. Once I got to the door off came the cardigan. With only a camisole on it would make grabbing me extremely hard. I turned and ran. I heard Wolverine give chase, but for once fate looked down on me kindly. Since the hallways were crowded everyone who saw me running was panicked and trying to get out of the way. While Wolverine wanted to catch me more than anything he wouldn't purposely hurt the children. I could see Kitty and Pete taking a stance like they were going to stop me. I heard him say that he didn't want to hurt me. Too bad I was completely willing to hurt them! I threw my body into a slide and managed to tag both of them. Gotta love warm weather, after dropping them both I leapt to my feet and sprint the last couple of yard to my room.

I locked the door and wedged a chair under the knob. Would it stop Colossus or Wolverine…. no but hopefully the locked door would convey my wish to be left alone.

I began throwing clothing on the bed to pack. Yep, I had enough of this shit and was hitting the open road. It also helped that I knew for a fact that most of the senior team was going to try and do recon on a suspected lab. Jean was going with the Professor to give a speech at a Mutant Rights Rally. That left only Ororo to watch over the mansion; perfect timing for me to liberate myself from this place. Before I left for good, I was tapping Kitty. There seem to be secrets going on. I mean the Professor first goes into the "we" can help spiel and then he not only doesn't actively help but he pawns me off onto Jean. Ms. Positivity she's not. And Logan, well fuck if he wasn't acting like an asshole pod person.

After sorting through all my clothes, I opened both my laptop and smart phone. I needed to disable my GPS chips. No fucking way was Boy Scout Scott going to ping me and find me. I wanted to get gone and stay gone. I ignored all the voices alternately begging and then demanding that I open the door. Finally they all went away. I know Logan stood there the longest before he finally had no choice but leave or opt out of the mission. Taking the chair from under the handle and re-manipulate the metal in the lock I cautiously peeked out the door. It was late, like after midnight late. So I snuck over to Kitty's and Jube's room. I opened the door and in the dark snuck over to their beds. Thank God I could stand in the middle and reach them at the same time. I held on long enough to get their powers and make their sleep deeper. I didn't want to drain them. Using Kitty's power I phased until I reached the Professor's study. I knew his desk contained all the active students file as well as the addition of the X-Men, senior and junior team respectively.

Looking at my file, first I was startled at the amount of information that he gleaned. I never gave him my full name, and I sure as hell never gave him info on my parents. Looking at his notes, he noted that through deep meditation in conjunction with a few sessions of shots that would help mute my powers long enough for me to find the off switch. Son of a fucking bitch! Jean's notes notated that I lacked the maturity and that maybe my mutation should be left to develop on its own. Scott noted that my mutation kept me from getting intimately involved (i.e. sexually) with Logan, so perhaps at least until I finished college I should be left as is. I was almost glad that none of these fuckers were here. I could not be responsible for my actions if I saw any of those three. I pulled Logan's file. Mind control and drugs, well that explained a lot. The Professor and Jean both noted that since he'd had this used on him before it was easier to access the path again. Great fucking morals the two of them had. One was tasked with shaping future generations of mutants and the other one was supposed to have taken a Hippocratic Oath.

I vowed right then and there greater good or not, I was personally going to fucking kill both the Professor and Jean. When a person's rights are down trodden with no forethought, you stopped being the good guy and became the monster that you were fighting against. I took both our files and then made it to the lab. I accessed Jean's not so secret hiding spot and took all the files and drugs labeled with our name and a few more with no markings on them. Anything I could do to frustrate the bitch! And to add injury to insult I took her hard drive from her PC, and then made a detour to go back the Professor's PC and grab his. Kind of made me wish I could be a fly on the wall to see how this went down. I ran back to my room, ready to phase if I ran into someone I knew. When I made it to my room, I called up Magneto and fused the locking mechanism so that nobody would be able to get in. Then I iced it to add another you're not getting in here message. Last but not least was the chair wedged under the doorknob.

Getting out of here? Well decisions, decisions. Do I go out the window? Phase through? I decided the window, if they didn't guess about the phasing it would take them much longer to figure out the PC trick and the lab. Oh I had no doubt that eventually they would look at the security feeds, but until then a merry chase! I placed the files and drugs in my duffle bag before swinging it onto my back. Next to go on was my small purse and the laptop bag. Finally I popped the bone claws and made my way to the window. I used them to climb up so that I could get to the roof, run to the side of the mansion closest to the forest. The trees would help mask my movement, and since I now had Wolverine front and center I knew how to move without leaving an obvious trail.

And so like a thief in the night, I left.

**Fast Forward four years**

Getting lost and staying lost wasn't easy. But I chose a highly populated and geographically dense area. That's right I ran from Westchester, New York to Manhattan. I had to do some fast talking and major hacking to get a new social. The long auburn hair became a sassy bob. The color became black with a hot pink stripe. The white didn't want to take any normal colors. So I went Goth. With the heavy make-up and the new haircut I was almost unrecognizable. I changed my wardrobe. Gone were the tomboyish clothes. Instead I dressed closer to what a Dom might wear, heavy into leather, leaning towards the darker colors and fabrics. I looked like a dark queen and developed the attitude to go with it. My college professors always seemed surprised that I had a brain behind the cruel beauty.

I was finishing up my last test for the year. After this I had my degree and would be free to move from here. I counted it a major miracle that none of the school folks had stumbled upon me. I actually bumped into Pete and he didn't even recognize me. I just kept walking and jumped on my bike. Thanks to Logan and Magneto I was fairly gifted as a mechanic. Yup, that's what supplemented my financial aid. So buying a POS motorcycle and fixing it up was a great resume. So much contemplating! Needed to get into class before the doors locked, and the test started. Ninety minutes later I was free. Last class, last test, I had turned in all my papers and now I just had to wait. Walking to my bike I noticed someone leaning on it. Who in the fuck leaned on a bike not theirs? It was a great way to catch an ass kicking.

As I got closer I noticed the guy with lithe, with a fighters build. Intuition also told me that the Ray Bans he had on were to hide a mutation. Well it wasn't like I thought I could hide forever. I walked towards him aggressively, hand hidden behind my back while I did two things. One pop out the claws and two turn on my skin. Turns out old Red and Fessor were right. Several shots and a couple of months of meditation and I found my off switch. But the timing of this was not right. I had a couple of other aliases set up. Even had money in off shore accounts, but I needed my degree. The sequential number on it was necessary in case I had to flip it over to an alias. Also I was still wondering if I should rescue dumb ass or leave him to his own devices. Jury was still out on that.

When I was close to the idiot by my bike I he called me by my name. Marie. Shit I hadn't heard that name in four years. I didn't blink and kept walking. He had not long to decide if he would hold his ground or play it off as mistaken identity. Suddenly I was aware of multiple people stationed nearby. Only thing is if my nose was right I had Magneto's bunch of misfits and the X-Men. Too early to tell which group bike guy belonged to. But I was determined that I wasn't going to stick around and see. Hmm.. decisions, decisions. I started off telling him to get off my bike. At which point he called me Marie. Told him my name was Brianna and I should know my birth name. Threw him for a bit until a voice told him they had a visual and confirmation of target. He was to acquire the target and do so as quickly and quietly was possible. Targets talents and fighting style unknown, collateral damage was to be kept at a minimum.

Ah, all this for little ole me? I walked the last few feet and tried to touch him. He back flipped over the bike and kept his distance. Guess that answered that. Throwing both hand out to the side and making sure my claws were out I heard a gasp. No time to try and keep it a secret, I was going to have to fight my way out and do it with all the speed I possessed. His bow-staff telescoped out and a pack of playing cards came out. When he tossed one at me I notice it was kinetically charged. I warned him if he fucked up my bike I was going to take it out of his literally! I took off my backpack and used it as a weapon. I had learned several styles of fighting and my go to was, Grav Maga. It was street fighting at its best. I needed to wrap up this fight and fast. Too many innocent bystanders were congregating. Plus all the unknown folks out there meant a lot of variables. Luck may favor the bold, but he who fought and ran away lived to fight another day.

Tossing Mr. Lithe into a tree I hopped on the bike and took off. Hearing bikes behind me I cursed. So they wanted to play? _This was her backyard and she knew it like the back of her hand. She needed out of the city proper. And she wasn't heading towards Westchester. New Jersey sounded good. Lincoln or Holland Tunnel, after all she was too far away from the George Washington Bridge. Holland it was. Downtown and Chinatown had a lot of crazy traffic she could and would use to her advantage. Risking a quick glance behind her she could see Logan, Scott and Mr. Lithe following on supped up bikes. She grinned. They weren't the only ones who could build bikes and modify them. Taking a quick second to pull Magneto's power she noticed a bug. She pulled it and placed it closed to the handlebars. When the time was right she was going to send them on a wild goose chase. _

_And while she was worried about what happened when they finally did catch her, she also had to admit this was the most fun she'd had in a while. Looking at both Logan and Scott she also had to admit they seemed as familiar as a stranger. She could honestly say they were folks she used to know. Four years was a lifetime when folks were manipulating your every thoughts and emotions. She should know took her six months before she'd trust her own feelings. In the meantime, she had a few people to lose and a safe house to get to. For now she'd go with the premise that her apartment was compromised. Good think her backpack had everything she needed!_

**End of chapter**

**AN:** Between traveling for work and my muse taking a vacation this was almost the chapter that didn't get written. Yes I will admit it's a bit of a filler chapter. But the next chapter has some truly deep and fucked up things occurring. So hang tight! I will try to get out within a couple of weeks. But like I said travel is kicking my butt!

Huge thanks to all who have reviewed. (Even the negative Nellies)! Thanks also to all whom favorite or followed the story! I use this to motivate my lazy muse to get off her ass and start creating.


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